Andalusia has experienced a year of tragic records, adding devastating forest fires to railway accidents and floods. Since January, Andalusian mountains have been blackened by 14 deaths in Los Gallardos, Almería, in the deadliest fire in history, and the recently extinguished blaze in Niebla, Huelva, which spread to Seville, becoming the second-largest in terms of burnt area.
The previous benchmark was the fire in Minas de Riotinto, Huelva, in 2004. Intentionally started in four foci, it advanced rapidly, affecting Berrocal (Huelva) and El Madroño (Seville), burning nearly 30,000 hectares and causing two fatalities due to asphyxiation. The alleged perpetrator was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
The fire in Los Gallardos, allegedly started by a short circuit in an electrical installation, claimed the lives of fourteen foreign nationals attempting to flee in their vehicles in Sierra Cabrera. This tragedy reopened the debate on the effectiveness of firefighting methods and evacuations, especially in scattered settlements.
Authorities emphasized the importance of following the instructions of fire management teams, calling them 'mandatory compliance.' The area of Bédar, in Almería, suffered severe damage, highlighting the persistence of unresolved issues in controlling these fires.
In 2017, the Doñana Natural Area in Huelva experienced one of the most significant environmental catastrophes, losing over ten thousand hectares. Efforts focused on preventing the fire from entering the park, succeeding after eleven days of arduous work and the evacuation of more than 2,500 people. The investigation into its origin, at a charcoal production site, remains stalled in the courts.
The restoration of flora and fauna in Doñana is an ongoing task, with environmental groups warning that much work remains despite apparent superficial recovery.
The concept of Major Forest Fires (GIF) dates back to 1975 with a disaster in Albuñuelas, Granada, which ravaged between 11,000 and 12,000 hectares. Prior to that year, no fire in the region had exceeded 5,000 hectares.
Subsequent fires, such as those in Beas de Granada (1993) or Los Guájares (2022), also surpassed five thousand hectares. Historically, GIFs have accounted for a significant portion of the total area affected by fire in Andalusia.
Sixth-generation fires, defined by their ability to alter the atmosphere and create their own weather, exceed human firefighting capacity. In 2021, Sierra Bermeja, Málaga, experienced one such fire, burning 8,401 hectares and forcing the evacuation of over 2,600 people, in addition to the death of a forest firefighter.
Fire knows no borders. Sierra Cabrera in Almería (2016) and Coín (2019) suffered major fires. The latter, with its steep topography, burned over 8,000 hectares, claimed one life, and left others injured. The fire's origin was traced to stubble burning, and the perpetrator has yet to be tried.
Almería also experienced major fires in Sierra de Alhamilla and Sierra de Gádor (2014). In 2015, a dry electrical storm in Jaén and Granada ravaged nearly ten thousand hectares near the Natural Park of Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas.
In 2020, Almonaster endured one of the largest fires recorded in Spain in recent decades, burning over 15,000 hectares, reportedly starting from a spark from a grinder. In 2022, the fire in Pujerra, Málaga, caused catastrophic damage to an area already affected by Sierra Bermeja.
